Ivory, Steel & Prisoners Of Fate
by Layla Taylor
Summary: Taken in by the Stark's at a young age Maelona grew up as one of their own.She did what any beautiful young lady did when she came of age - moved on to Kings Landing. Years later the guards from the Nights Watch find her alone in the snow and she begins a journey all of her own ***AU: Going to change a few things but keep many the same**
1. Chapter 1

Five young men on horseback had grown tired of the sight of the pure white fallen snow that covered the ground, covered everything. They were close to home, well, the place they now called home. Otherwise known as The Wall. The Nightswatch, noble, honourable and some days was downright dull. They had been riding for weeks and had seen nothing but white flakes. Eugene saw her first, only he wasn't sure about what he was seeing. Eugene narrowed your eyes and peered ahead of them. He could have sworn he could see Emerald green. It wasn't grass, of that he was certain.

"Do you see that?" he asked everybody around him "Up a bit and to the left side"

"You're seeing things" said the cocky Talan, who dispute being at the wall only a week prior to Eugene, knew everything about being in The Nightswatch.

"No, his not" their commanding officer confirmed before taking off in that direction. Eugene and Talan exchanged confused glances before following, adrenaline beginning to pump through their veins. They had gathered so much speed in the excitement that they needed all their strength as they pulled on the reins to stop their horse.

There before them, lying in the snow was a girl, a young woman. Her raven hair sheltered her face and her Emerald green cloak covered the snow like moss. Where had she come from? They looked down at her as if she was pixie, that had lost her way but as they jumped off their horses they realised that she was in deeper trouble then they first realised. Their commanding officer bent down and gently removed the long mane that covered her face, revealing the thick red blood that had been seeping from her head, but had now dried. Lord knew how long she had been here, alone. He had never felt skin, this cold before, not on someone who's heart was still beating, that is. There was a piece of leather wrapped around her ankle and it was his guess that she had been thrown from a horse and dragged a far way.

"Where has she come from?" Talan questioned

"Not for us to know. We have to get her back and fast"

"What? Take her to The Wall. Everyone will have a field day, with her"

"Why?" Their commanding officer question "Because she is a beauty or because she is of the fairer sex"

"Both I would imagine" Eugene asked frankly.

"Well, where would you have us take her? All the way back to Kings Landing, since judging from her appearance. That is where she has come from. She doesn't have that much time, lord knows how she has lasted this long. So are you going to help me rescue the fair maiden or are you going to keep yapping"

They somehow got her on to one of the horses and quickly made their way back to The Wall.

Jon saw the commotion saw everybody gather around. Whatever it was he didn't really care. They had so little to get excited about that he was sure that it was something they would all forgot about in five minutes. This life wasn't all that he had imagined it to be. As the commotion grew large so did his curiosity, against his better judgment Jon walked over and took a peak. His eyes widen in shock as his heart quicken.

"Maelona?" he utter before every turned and Look up at him surprised.

"Do you know her boy?"

"We grew up together" he said feeling her cold cheeks with the back of his hand. She was freezing cold " I haven't seen her in years"

"We need to get her warm"

Jon watched from the courtyard as they carried Maelona up the stairs and inside. There was nothing he could do but wait. All he could do was pray and hope that she would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

Maelona's eyes fluttered open and all she could see a slither of light coming from the closed door. Other than that, the room was pitch black. She didn't know where she was and how she had got there. She sat up quickly before a pain shot up her side, she hisses without thinking before getting bit by the cold. The last thing she remembered was making her way to Winterfall. Maelona got the distinct feeling that wasn't where she was now. It certainly didn't feel like home. She got out from under the covered and discovered that underneath those layers of quilting; she was only wearing her slip. She skin flushed with embarrassed even though there was no one in the room, but that was beside to the point, there had been people there and that's why she was in the state she was in. Maelona found her dress hanging at the foot of the bed and got dressed as quickly as she possible, which really wasn't quick at all, given the amount of pain she was in. Just as she was almost dressed the door of her room started to creak and a grey hair round gentleman entered the room.

"You're awake. That's good"

"Where am I?"

"Castleblack"

Maelona stared at bewildered "Excuse me?"

Maelona grabbed her cloak and followed the gentleman outside. The last place she ever thought she would go was Castleblack. She gingerly wrapped the cloak around herself and made her way out of the chamber where she had been resting. As they reached the entrance to the training yard, the icy breeze hit her like nothing she had ever felt before. She slowly made her way down the old wooden staircase, holding on to the railing as she went before she heard someone say.

"She's alive and walking around. It's a miracle"

Maelona smiled when she saw him standing there. It was a face she hadn't seen and quite a while but she suddenly felt like she was home. Maelona moved down the stairs as quickly as she could, not that she was moving quickly at all. She reached the bottom step and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder before muttering

"Benjen!"

She certainly wasn't the young girl that Benjen carried around in his memory, anymore. The warm weather of the South, seem to agree with her. Maelona had always had grace but now her had poise and she certainly wasn't a little girl anymore.

"Mae, how did you get all the way out here" he asked pulling back.

"I pray to the gods that I knew the answer to that question. I was riding in The Vale and the next I woke up here"

"We found you alone in the snow. Your horse was nowhere in sight"

"Wonderful"

"Where were you going? What business did you have in The Vale?"

She stepped onto the ground and took a deep breath. She linked her arm in his and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. He might not have looked like his brother but they had the same presence. She felt safe with him, just like she did with Ned.

"Trying to build up the fortitude to congratulate your nephew on his recent wedding. I just wasn't quite brave enough, so I decided to take a ride in The Vale and now I'm here"

"You would have frozen to death if we hadn't found you"

"But you did" All eyes were on her, young boys and grown men but she didn't seem to notice. Benjen sure did "I worry about you out here, all by yourself"

"But I'm not by myself"

"Is there a Stark here that I am not aware of?"

"In a matter of speaking" Benjen said looking down at her before smiling. He looked over the training yard and Maelona followed his glaze before seeing him there, teaching another boy sword play. Dark mop of hair, deep brown eyes and a consent frown. Jon Snow.

"Honour and glory?" she asked Benjen. That was the only reason a boy from privilege would join the Nights Watch

"That was a part of it"

She caught Jon eye and gave him a sweet smile before he handed over his sword and he crossed the yard until they were toe to toe. This was the part that everyone, every man and boy had been waiting for. They were looking for the proof to Jon Snow's admission of the raven haired beauty being a childhood friend. The very same raven haired beauty that everyman couldn't stop thinking about

"All the place for us to meet in Westros, Jon Snow. We met here"

"Unpredictability is normally your way of life, Maelona"

"Well you've got me there"

Suddenly they felt a unmistakeable presence behind them Maelona turned around to see a tall round gentleman, she didn't know who he was but her had the air if someone important

"You three with me"

The way that Benjen and Jon reacted Maelona knew he was someone important. She followed them to the platform and Benjen helped her up the stairs, slowly. They all walked inside to meet the Lord commander's quarters and waited for whatever was so important. She took a seat and grabbed a hold of her side and pressed her lips together to keep from whimpering, she sat as gracefully as she could.

"We do have milk of the poppy, if that would make you more comfortable" Commander Mormont told her before she gave him a sweet smile.

"I think that your men are better deserving of your milk of the poppy then I. Keep it for them, I've felt worst pain in my lifetime"

Jon quickly looked over at her and wondered if she was talking about her childhood or something much more recent. Either way he didn't like the thought.

"I don't know how you have survived all this time out in the wild and in the snow but thankfully you have" Commander Mormont told her " I can't have someone of the fair sex and your beauty up on the wall. I have a lot of boys and men here who haven't seen a woman, let alone a beautiful woman in weeks and even years. I can't have them being distracted. When you're well enough I'll have the young Snow here take you back to Winterfall"

"If it would suit you Commander. I will leave tomorrow; I've healed enough to be on a horse, I think I have taken up enough of your hospitality and I'm not use to being in anyone's debt. I never have, even as a child"

"A couple more days won't hurt"

She nodded her head and knew when she was defeated. Maelona took Benjen's waiting hand before he helped her out of the chair and Jon opened the door for her and Maelona found herself in the cold again. With all eyes on her. Maybe the Lord Commander was right. Leaving the wall sooner rather than later, would be a good idea. She was used to eyes on her, she had to get used to it in the capital but this was different. Every pair of eyes on her, were hungry eyes.


End file.
